Landing net



Marh 28, 1950 v. VAN MlLLxNGEN LANDING NET Filed July 28, 1948 E BY Lk ci. L

Patenied Mar. 2s, 195o UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LANDING NET Vivian van Millingen, San Francisco, Calif'.`

Application July 28, 194s, serial'No. 41,030

, 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fishing nets and has particular reference to a landing net.

The principal object of this invention is to produce a landing net which is light in construction, easy to use, and one which may be moved into open position with the use of but one hand.

A further object is to provide a net which is economical to manufacture, one which is com'- pletely protected when not in use against snagging on other objects, and a net which will be dried out even when in storage.

A further object is to provide means for automatically spreading the net from closed to open position as soon as the net-holding arms are released from the housing structure.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my landing net showing a portion thereof broken away and showing parts in closed position,

Fig. 2 is a similar view on a reduced scale and showing the parts in open position and ready for Iuse,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a similar view, taken on the'line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, partly in cross section, showing the net carrier in its upper or closed position, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, showing the carrier in its lowered or open position. f

In the sport of fishing, many fishermen employ a dip net for the purpose of lifting a fish out of the water, thus eliminating, to a large extent, the possibility of losing the fish, which often occurs when the fish is free to flop in the air after being lifted out of the water, as the hook often tears out of the mouth during the free movement of the fish. As the fisherman, at this time, is very busy manipulating the pole, the line and the reel, both hands are occupied until the fish is adjacent the fisherman and it is at this time that a net should be used. The fisherman now manipulates the pole with one hand, holding down on the reel to prevent running out of the line, while the other hand is employed for the netting purpose. This pressure is also 2 described in my copending application, Seria No. 33,299, led June 16, 1948, now abandoned.

It is often very diflicult to land a sh and, therefore, a net which can be manipulated with one hand while the fisherman holds the -rod with the other hand, is a very useful piece of equipment. These nets, heretofore, have usually consisted of a handle and a rod having a loop, from which loop the net is hung. This type of net is awkward to carry and often becomes entangled in brush which may be adjacent the fishing area. l

Applicant has, therefore, devised a landing net wherein the net and the supporting members therefor are entirely enclosed in a hollow, openended tube and in such a manner that they may be quickly released so as to be projected from the tube, ready for use.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 5 designates a tube-like housing which is open at both ends and is provided with a track 6, which serves to guide a slotted Weighted slider l, and to thus prevent rotation of the carrier in the tube 5.

Formed in the sides of the housing are opposed openings 8 and 9, which serve to hold the slider in upper or lower position through the medium of spring-pressed detents II, which project through the openings 8 or 9, as the case may be.

The bottom of the slider is slotted so as to form side wings I2 and I3, which wings support a cross shaft I4, upon which is mounted a pair of free rotatable arm-carrying members I6 and I1. Each one of these members- I6 and I1, has an upstanding lug, as shown at I8 and I9 respectively which, when in alignment, are adapted to be engaged by the forked end of a sliding detent 2| mounted in the slider 1.

Arms, 22 and 23, are attached to the armcarrying members I6 and I1 respectively, and serve to support a portion of the net 24 thereon, and also have attached to their free ends a limiting spreader 26, which spreader is also attached to the net.

A spring 21, has its arm-engaging lugs 28 and 29, secured to the arm-carrying members I6 and I1 respectively.

It is obvious that the detent 2|, may be prevented from rotating in any desired manner, as by a key as shown at 20.

Limiting stops 3|, prevent the arms from being opened in the wrong direction.

The result of this construction is that, when the weighted slider 1, is in the upper portion of the tube-like housing, the net will be eneased within the housing, as shown in Fig. 1, and the detents II, will be projected through the openings 8, as indicated in Fig. 4. Y

Assuming now, that it is desired to use the net (and it may be here mentioned that the tube is usually hung on the person through the use of a hook or clip arrangement) the user lifts the tube oi of the hook or out of the clip and presses with the thumb and rst finger the spring-pressed detents I, whih releases 4the slider 1,so"thatit may move 'downwardly'-from the position shown in Fig. 1, to that shown in Fig. 2, which act projects the arms 22 and 23, together with the supported net, out of the=tube and, at the same time, the detents I I, are guided into the openings 9, through ithefa'ct thatthe slider is held in the correct position by `the .track 6, With which it slidably engages.

As soon as the arms 22 and 23, havezmoiLed out of the tube, the spring 21, Will function to iexert pressure on the lugs .-218 -and i,29, ,thusire- .volving -the arm-carrying :members I,;B @and f-i'l, irom itheir position of Fig.,5 to :that -Yof ,.Fig. 6, with :thelugs I 8 and A9,. in ralignment withreach iother, iat vwhich time .-therforkedend of l.the slid -`upside down-soithat ithefvslidinggdetent 1I, will return Yto fthe positionfgof Lyf-after lwhich Lathe lugs I8 and I9, will be free and, consequentlmthe 1arm-xiarrying.'membersl f together :with ,the Afarms, :may ,fbe moved into .parallel zalignment, Iafter whichttherfarms, together with'zthe VnetMrna-y .be ngz, `:said members, lugsmarriedmygzeach ofi-,saidmemtelescoped into uthe Etube by :releasing the'idetents 1Il,;fr.om ftheir openings 8, at stheflovwereendfgof the tube and causing the :detents rtoagain een- 2gage'the Aopeningsqfs at'the ftop of the itulae.

Itvwill thus'be seen-thatbysimply moving the "Slider .downwardly through rthe :tube,..thefnetiwil1 '.be projected aniispread :ready :for use, ,-as above "-A-described.

It is to be understood that the form ofrmyfin- `vention therewith .shown l,and "described :is to be ztakenaas .a fpreferredexam'ple roi the same i:and that ivarious :changes :relative to ithe lmaterial, szsize, fshape :and farrangement roi parts -may the -rresorted :to a without :departingfrom the :spiritof fthe invention nor the ascope fof the :isubioined s rclaims.

Jn: casefth'e .-:spring21 :fails f toY spread tthefarms, "the net 'may izbe spread:bya singtfaitwistingfmotionthatis byxslightly rotating the tube f-about Aits iverticalaxis the :freends'iof thefzarfms :will ktend to "spread, -due tto-'centrifugal:factionfoiathe twistin'g zof .the tubezthusfspreading:theiarmssdf the landing net.

Having f thus :describe-d :my imaention, fmlaim il. "A landing net :comprising ran xopenen'ded :tuhefand ra A:weighted slider lsslidable :in said ttuhe and maintained at either end thereof by springpressed detents, a pair of arms pivotally carried by said slider and serving to support a net, spring means for spreading said arms when said arms are projected out of said tube, and a sliding detent carried by said slider for maintaining said arms in spread position while said tube is being held with the net directed downwardly out of said tube.

2. Alanding'fnet including an open-ended tube, 'a'slidermovabledn sad'tube and'adjustably held .at either end of said tube by spring-pressed de- -'tents engaging openings at the opposite ends of ;sa-id.tube, a track formed in said tube to maintain said slider and its detents in alignment with 'the-openings'insaid tube, a pair of arms pivotally supported Vin said slider, said arms serving to support a landing net therebetween, spring kmeans interposed between said arms to spread said arms for the purpose of extending said net when :said net Yand said -e arms are projected tout ,of isaid tube, Aand f-a )gravity-.actuated n detent fior holding said arms in spread postionuwhenrsad fnet-,iandnsaidsarmsare:directed downwardly-with respect to Ssaid f tube.

3. Arlanding netxincludingianwpeneendediituhe, -za'fsli'der'movablesin said1tubaand adjusirablyiheld at either end of said tube by spring-pressedde- .tents g engaging `f apenings at the :opposite-.ends o'f tainfsaid-isliderand `dts-detents inealignmentiwith fthempenings: iIrsaid tubeaishait carriedbyfsaid slider, arm-carrying rmembers cpivctallfy ssup- `portedsonv;saidsshafteand:armsoseeured,tofeach of fbers and so -farranged thatssaidflugsawillbe radial alignmentzwith respectto;saidshattwhen yssaid@armszara'moredaparta;presdeterniinedsdistance, .-.a sliding ndetent foar-ried :by said slider f-adapted 'to Lengage said lugs .when `:said :lugs lare :in `alignment, fa :net fcarried rby said .arms ,f1-,and `serving :to :limit @the espread of rsaid A@arms and spring means interposed between saidzarmszfor fmoving said :arms and :their marrying members son: saidzshaftnto spreadgposition, ,Wherebyfsaid detent will engage isaidflugs zwhenzsaid detentis antuaized byggravity @toward saidlugs.

EV '-VANMILLINGEN eEEEERENGES -LGITED The following refereneeslare of -reeordin ,the "ille 'f '*fthis Tpatent:

UNITED .STATES VLErflliNTS 

